The HR Will Get Back to You

This article is not meant to defend any Human Resource professional, but its sole purpose is to help you understand this profession better. We are trying to bring the face of HR to the world, which is actually the true definition of Human Resources.

Let me tell you about the mindset you need to adopt when applying for a job or giving an interview. While applying for a job, do not expect your selection. While exiting from the interview room, keep zero expectations from the company. This is what I used to do while struggling for the job. It was 2019; I had 5.3 years of experience during that time. What happened was my company got shut down, and there began my job-hunting struggle. During my interview period, I never expected any positive response from the HRs. I just used to give the interview and come out expecting nothing from the company, thinking that when my time comes, I will get the job. I repeatedly got rejected for 9.6 months until it was somewhere around the 44th interview in India's one of the leading digital media companies that I got selected. Believe me, this selection was worth it, and the company provided me with the best job experience.

There's no point in blaming HR for not getting back to you and continuously running after them for the feedback. Just ask once; if they get back to you, that's good. If they don't, then do not ask for the second time. Just accept that you haven't made it and move on. Where your selection is written, you will easily get there if you do not lose hope and give up on your struggle. Complaining that HR is not getting back to you is wasting your time and energy. In fact, rejections are part of life.

HR cannot get back to you when you send them your job application because there are so many applications. HRs receive a lot of job applications in a day, so they can't reply to every applicant. You just need to accept this fact. As soon as you get this thing, you will never be disappointed and feel personally about not getting a reply from them. To make fun of HR over social media on the "HR will get back to you" phrase is nothing short of good humour. So, instead of complaining, move on. Ample opportunities are waiting for you.

HR is only the face of the organisation. The fundamental role of HR is to guide you. Different stakeholders from the organisation take your interview. Every interviewer's viewpoint is different. It is not necessary that your talent will be visible to everyone.

We want HR to tell us the reason for the rejection so we don't repeat the same mistake. But do remember, it is also not guaranteed that they will reply to you with the actual reason. And many times, in my experience, I have seen that when the candidates are told the reason for their rejection, they cannot accept it. So, once you are given the reason for rejection, learn to accept it and move on. Sometimes, we are sure we'll clear the interview, but unfortunately, we get rejected. At that time, have patience and remember that some better job is destined for you, provided you do not give up on your interview-giving journey.

Now-a-days, Recruiters are facing a lot of back-outs from the candidates. In contemporary times, what I think is that the Recruiters should not have hope from the candidates to join, then only it will not disappoint them if they back out.

HR professionals often face criticism, and while some of this criticism is valid, it’s important to acknowledge that HRs can sometimes fall short of fulfilling their true purpose. We may misuse our positions, deceiving not others, but ourselves. While we are good at listening to others, we must also express our views without fear of criticism.

I regret that, today, we HR professionals yet often do not fully understand what this profession entails. It is a field where continuous self-improvement is essential. During my Master’s program, I studied a subject called HR Development, which became my favourite because it covered various aspects of human development.

An exhibition showcasing different professions is being organised, with auctions being held by various firms. However, instead of striving for the betterment of our profession, we prepare for these exhibitions, which ultimately lead us nowhere and may result in our desolation. We have reached a point where we seek to compete in our careers without truly understanding them. Even though we are qualified, we still, at times, act as if we are ignorant.

During July 2022, I gave an interview in one of India's leading digital media organisations. A senior HR who interviewed me was so much into himself that whenever I answered his questions, he cut me in the middle without even listening to my complete statement. From this incident, I've learned that if you are an HR professional, you must be a good listener. Often HR makes fun of others in interviews, and if you do this then you are an insult to this profession.

I have worked under an HR Head in a renowned digital media organisation who could not perform basic Human Resources tasks and was a Vice President. I never came to know how she got into that organisation and who the interviewers were behind her selection, as I really wanted to speak to the management involved in her selection.

Let us first understand the spirit of Human Resources. A profession whose first word is "Human" itself, requires you to become a human first. If you're not able to understand such denotation, then this profession is not for you. A profession which will bring change in your life, your thoughts, your personality, your society and your identity that will lead to a perfect choice, and this profession of Human Resources covers all.

People like to be complimented; people like to be praised. People don't want to be criticised. There are some people who, when being pointed out on their mistakes, become angry. But criticism is a positive approach. Very few people will accept their mistakes and dare to correct them. I have often seen such things in interviews. When people are told the reason for their rejection, they do not accept it. Moreover, they say that the interviewer was wrong. Sometimes, being an interviewer, judging someone in a 15-minute meeting is difficult. In such a short period, how can we judge someone only on the basis of bio-data? One can commit such mistakes that he is not even able to notice, so he is rejected. Otherwise, the interviewer must be proficient in reading such expert human psychology.

I still remember the days when I finished my Graduation and was thinking about choosing my career line. I opted for the HR profession because:

(a) I wanted to help people in getting jobs, and

(b) I wanted to develop my own personality.

A good HR will guide you through every step of your career. The other type of HR is someone whose circumstances brought him into this profession. My personal experience says that only those few people who truly understand the purpose behind Human Resources can perform better in this profession, while others have been working forcefully in this industry from the beginning till today. Likewise is happening in other professions.

HR is not meant for everyone. If you have a purpose of helping people, then you are eligible to become an HR. It should be remembered that HR follows the same dictum as democracy, i.e., "Of the people, by the people, for the people." Would like to address something you would have rarely found in your academics and other authors' books. I want to share the prerequisites for becoming an HR professional here.

According to my experience, you deserve to get into this profession if:

1. You believe in bringing change in an individual's life and society at large.
2. You truly want to help people in getting jobs.
3. You love guiding people in their career path.
4. You believe in developing your personality.
5. You believe in developing the staff's skills through training and development.
6. You take the employee engagement program seriously; when an employee tells you their concern, you must resolve it.

From my above definition of HR, i.e., "Of the people, by the people, for the people.", we aptly understand that this profession of Human Resources is created for the people only.

The gist of this whole article is like this: Whenever you appear in an exam, you have to wait for your result. A result date arrives, and you have to go and collect the result. Before that, you don't ask any teacher about your results. Similarly, why do you expect HR to give you your result within a specific period? Often, no feedback comes to the HR; and if it does, then the stakeholder cannot give the reason for rejection. And at the end, a joke is made: "The HR will get back to you."

Humans are unique creatures; everyone has a different level of potential, which cannot be revealed in a 15-minute interview. So, my advice is, when it comes to the interview feedback, you should not get stuck; your expectations should be zero, and you must keep moving forward. Every interview teaches you something new. So, learn from every rejection.

–Mohammad Ammar & Adv. Areeb Sajid